


I'm Always Gonna Answer When You Call My Phone

by Jennsepticeye



Category: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Identity Reveal, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-25 07:32:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18256640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jennsepticeye/pseuds/Jennsepticeye
Summary: I've become a big fan of the spider-verse trope of Jefferson acting like a dad to Spidey before he knows Spidey is Miles.I wrote a thing





	I'm Always Gonna Answer When You Call My Phone

Jefferson Davis had conflicting feelings about the new Spiderman. On one hand, he was a cop, so he wasn’t fond of the masked “hero” taking justice into his own hands. On the other, the police just weren’t equipped to handle people like the Green Goblin or Kingpin, and he appreciated the assistance. As a dad, though, he was beyond furious and incredibly concerned.

 

He hadn’t put it together at first. He got the call to May Parker’s house, he found his brother dead, and put out an APB on the Spiderman in the dollar store costume. Then so much happened in a short time. He got a report of a New Spiderman in black jumping off of a building and swinging downtown, so he followed, because nothing was ever normal in New York City. He followed the new Spiderman into the technicolor fever dream that was the super collider underneath Wilson Fisk’s building.

Fisk was an absolute mountain of a man who made anyone look small in comparison, but out on the shifting skyscrapers and reality soup, Spiderman looked tiny.  Even more so when Fisk brought his hands down with a sickening crack and stood victorious over Spiderman’s prone form.

 

_ God, was he dead? _

 

“Get up, Spiderman!” He said it without thinking, without really meaning to. “GET UP SPIDERMAN!” He yelled again, louder, yelling. Loud enough that the stark white lenses stuttered open, and against all odds, he won.

 

~*~

 

Spiderman’s voice was strange, like he was talking with a mouth full of gum, pitched falsely low for the timbre. He was intentionally lowering his voice. And that wasn’t all. He hugged Davis. Wrapped his scrawny little arms around him and made the officer freeze. It was weird, but just as suddenly as it happened, he was stepping back.

 

“Officer, I love you.” He gave a cheeky little salute.

 

Davis smiled, and then- “Wait, what?”

 

Spidey dropped the voice, taking a few more steps back, “Look behind you! Adios!” and then he was gone, flinging himself into the sky, hooting and hollering.

 

The hug on it’s own was strange enough, to just hug someone you didn’t really know? But the way he hugged was also… The new Spidey didn’t just look small, he  _ was  _ small. His arms had barely wrapped around Davis’s torso and his head barely reached his chest. The fake voice, the behavior, the small stature. The new Spiderman was a child, an actual child, around Miles’s age if he had to guess. So  _ who the hell was letting their kid fly around in spandex with no supervision?!  _ Did they even know? Was anyone looking out for this kid?

 

Officer Davis sighed, looking on as the other officers loaded Wilson Fisk into a PDNY armored truck. What a day.

 

~*~

 

The old Spiderman wasn’t very close with the police. He’d occasionally exchange commentary, maybe get a gun pointed at his face. As Spiderman, Peter Parker only interacted with the police when he had to.  The new Spidey was different. He exchanged banter with the officers, and strangest of all, he seemed to seek out officer Davis. Of course, he jumped to the worst conclusion, that Spiderman didn’t have anyone. Didn’t have anyone to look after him like a dad was supposed to.

 

“Hey officer!”  _ Speak of the devil.  _ Spiderman touched down on the top of Jefferson’s cruiser. Thankfully, he had dropped the fake voice. 

 

Despite himself, Davis smiled at the kid. “Spiderman.”

 

“I just wanted you to know that there are a few attempted muggers pasted to a light pole at the corner of 16th and 65th. One of them had a gun, but it wasn’t loaded, and I definitely didn’t learn that the hard way.”

 

Jefferson frowned. “Someone shot at you?”

 

“I mean, yeah, he thought it was loaded, and then he got pissed at one of his buddies for not loading the magazine so-”

 

“Are you crazy? You could have gotten hurt. You had no idea it was empty!”

 

“I would have been fine. I wasn’t in any danger-” Spidey tried to backtrack

 

“Like hell-”

 

“My spider-sense would have warned me if I was going to get shot.”

 

“It’s still not your job. You’re a kid. You’re supposed to call the police and let them handle it.” Jefferson said, because someone needed to make this kid see any sense.

 

“They wouldn’t have gotten there quick enough!” Spidey defended, jumping down onto the sidewalk. “Someone was in danger so I acted-”

 

“You’re not even properly trained-”

 

“I know that!” He yelled, frustrated. “I know I’m not as good as Peter was-”

 

“That’s not what I-”

 

“Peter was supposed to teach me how to be Spiderman, but instead I got to watch him die! So instead I got a two day crash course from his aunt and doppelgangers. I’m trying to be what this city needs, but I don’t know how!”

 

Jefferson sighed, torn between keeping the kid safe, or keeping him happy. “You can’t expect to do this alone. Parker had his Aunt and his wife, but you’re just a kid-”

 

“Am not!” Spidey show back, like a kid.

 

“You’re just a kid, and I sincerely doubt that your parents know that you’re doing this.”

 

“I’m not alone. I have people.” He said, petulant.

 

“Then let them in. Let them help you.”

 

“Fine, but if my molecules glitch out and I die in another universe, I’m blaming you.” Then he disappeared before Jefferson could protest. That invisibility thing was going to get annoying.

 

~*~

 

After that Spiderman was scarce for a few days. Hopefully he was taking Jefferson’s advice and confiding in his friends. When he returned., he was doing better. He volleyed banter with the other officers, and swung around more confident than ever. There were fewer incidents of him getting stuck to things.

 

Too bad it couldn’t last.

 

Subconsciously, Jefferson knew that the kid was the same one from the alley, in the low budget costume, but he tried not to think about it too much. He didn’t want to. He just wanted to do his job, make sure Spidey stayed safe, and to spend more time with his son. But Spiderman seemed more on edge lately, nervous when talking to Davis, lost in his own head.  It was like he wanted to say something but was afraid of what reaction he might get. He’d dealt with Miles enough to know the signs. 

 

“Officer Davis? Can I talk to you?” Seemed the boy in question seemed to know when someone was thinking about him. He had impeccable timing.

“Of course you can. What’s on your mind, kid?”

 

“The Prowler, Aaron Davis. He was your brother, wasn’t he?” he posed the question like he already knew the answer.

 

“Yeah, he was.”

 

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Spiderman sounded like he was holding back tears. “I was there when he… It was my fault.” 

 

It would have been  _ so  _ easy to blame him, to hate Spiderman for the death of his brother but through some wild twist of fate the vigilante had made himself a place in Davis’s heart.

 

“Hey,” he said softly, putting his hand on the kid’s shoulder. “What do you mean it was your fault?”

 

“He wouldn’t kill me, so Kingpin shot him. He died in my arms.”

 

“That is not your fault. It’s not. Aaron got involved in a lot of things he shouldn’t have and that’s what got him killed. You can’t blame yourself. You’re young, you don’t deserve something like that on your conscience.”

 

Spiderman sniffled, nodding.

 

“This has been bothering you for a while, hasn’t it?”

 

He nodded again.  _ God,  _ he was just a scared little kid under that mask. 

 

“You’re a good kid. Sometimes bad things just happen. You can’t let them pull you down. Got it?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Good, now shoo. I’ve got things to do.”

 

Spiderman laughed and swung away. Jefferson watched until he was out of sight.

 

~*~

 

_ Ten-Four. We have reports of suspects fleeing a robbery at Santander Bank on 17th Avenue. Three male, Caucasian suspects escaping in a stollen school bus. Last seen on 49th street. Be advised, suspects are considered armed and dangerous. _

 

Officer Davis heaved a sigh and shifted his cruiser into gear, sirens blaring. “Ten-Four, this is Officer Davis. I am en route.”

 

He wasn’t the last officer on scene, but the PDNY had already set up a barricade and road spikes.

 

“What’s the situation?”

 

“Stolen bus inbound, driving recklessly and- hold on.” Officer Stevens paused as his radio crackled.

 

_ Spiderman inbound. I repeat, Spiderman inbound, tailing the suspects. _

 

“Copy that. Up and attem boys and girls.”

 

Suddenly the tense and unmoving crowd was in motion, pulling on vests and checking their firearms. It wasn’t long until the bus came into view, barreling along at high speed while the small form of Spiderman swung behind making desperate attempts to stop them.

 

When they spotted the blockade, the suspects didn’t falter, accelerated even. Spiderman sped up too, getting a good block in front of the bus and a good two from the blockade. He planted his feet in the middle of the street. 

 

The bus was bearing down on him but Spidey didn’t falter, shooting a dozen or more webs to either side. Suddenly Jefferson realized what the kid was planning. He was trying to get hit by the bus, to keep it from colliding with the officers. The absolute self sacrificial genius. Parker had done the same thing with a train years ago.

 

Davis took an aborted step forward. There was nothing he could do, the kid was too far away and the bus was way too close. All he could do was watch as the vehicle slammed into Spiderman’s back, and hope the  _ crack _ he heard was just his imagination. 

 

The bus skidded to a stop just feet from the blockade. The hood had crumpled where Spiderman was braced against it. A testament to just how much force was behind the collision. He stumbled away, turning invisible as the attempted robbers disembark the bus, brandishing semi-automatics. Thankfully, they abandon that course of action after seeing the crowd of police. 

 

When everything was over and settled, Spiderman reappeared, holding himself awkwardly to ease obvious discomfort from his injuries. 

 

“Everyone alright, Officer?”

 

“All thanks to you. You hurt?”

 

“Nah, I’m alr-”

 

“That wasn’t really a question.” Davis interrupted. “You got hit by a bus, how injured are you? No understatement.”

 

“I’ll be fine. Nothing’s broken. I’ll just be sore and bruised for the next few days. Promise, no understatement.”

 

Davis looked at him skeptically, but nodded nonetheless. “C’mon. I’ll give you a lift home.”

 

“No that’s okay. I have a secret identity for a reason.” Spiderman said. “And i’m not that far-”

 

“Just get in and I’ll drop you on your block. I’m not gonna follow you back. .”

 

He sighed, but got in the back of the cruiser anyway. This kid was going to give Davis a heart attack one of these days.

 

~*~

 

Jefferson Davis was an idiot, to have all of the pieces right in front of him and not know. To not know that Spiderman was…

 

If it wasn’t for one mishap he might never have figured it out. A stupid accident on the river and Olivia Octavius snagged the mask from Spiderman’s head.

 

He put it back on quickly, but not before Davis saw his face, before he made eye contact. Not before Davis made eye contact with his son. 

 

“Miles?” Thank god there was no one else around.

 

“I promise we’ll talk later. I’m sorry.” and then Spiderman, Miles, was flinging himself after 

the retreating form of Doctor Octopus. He felt useless just going home, ut what else was there to do? What was a normal cop against someone like Octavius? His son was Spiderman.

 

So he did what  he could. He went home.

 

Fortunately or unfortunately, Rio go stuck with the graveyard shift at the ER and wouldn’t be home until six in the morning. He wasn’t sure what he’d say if she was home.

 

He waited for a long time at the dining room table, eventually somehow falling asleep against the wood. 

 

He woke up again when the clock read two-seventeen because someone was draping a 

blanket over his shoulders. Miles froze, still in the suit, sans mask, and dripping wet. 

 

“Hey dad.” he smiled nervously.

 

God he really was an idiot wasn’t he? His son was putting himself in danger and he didn’t know. This kid. Davis did the only thing he could think of, pulling Miles into a tight hug. “I really am dense, aren’t I?”

 

Miles laughed. “Only a little.” He hugged back just as tightly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

All the little coincidences were clicking into place, Spiderman living on the same block as Visions Academy, the hug after the super collider, the shoes that he wore and the way Spanish slipped in and out of his speech. The way he left sticker everywhere and that bizarre growth spurt. The-

 

“I let you get hit by a bus! Oh my god, I’m a terrible dad.” He started pacing the kitchen. 

 

“No dad, don’t. You’re not-”

 

“I let you nearly get killed at the super collider, I’ve watched you get shot at.”

 

“Dad!” Miles finally got his attention “I didn’t want you to know. You can’t do that to yourself. You can’t blame yourself because you weren’t looking. You’re an awesome dad.”

 

“Good grief, Miles. What were you thinking?”

 

He shrugged. “With great power comes great responsibility?”

 

“Does your mom know?” If Rio knew and he didn’t, he would never live it down.

 

“She might be suspicious that all of the baby powder has gone missing.”

 

Jefferson sighed explosively and Miles was quick to amend. 

 

“I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you. Everything happened so quickly, and I knew you wouldn’t approve. Plus May gets put in all sorts of danger now that people know she was Spiderman’s aunt. I didn’t want that for you and mom.Please don’t make me stop.”

 

“‘Make you…’ Miles, I am  _ so  _ proud of you, and I love you. What you’re doing is incredible, and I wish I had realized that before Peter Parker was killed, but you’re my son and I’ll always be worried about you. No matter what.”

 

“Especially when I’m fighting crime in spandex?” Miles added.

 

“Especially when you’re fighting crime in spandex”

 

“So you’re not mad?”

 

Jefferson sighed. “Oh, I’m mad, but not at you.”

 

“But I’m still grounded aren’t I?”

 

“Without a doubt.”

 

Miles laughed. “Saw that coming.” he yawned. “I’m exhausted… and wet.”

 

“Yeah and you smell like mildew. Take a shower and head to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

 

“Alright.” He yawned again as he started down the hallway.

 

“And Miles?”

 

“Yeah dad?”

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too, dad.”


End file.
